As it happened: Remco Evenepoel's second World Championship TT victory

Hello and welcome along to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the elite men's time trial at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich!

Remco Evenepoel will be out to defend his title, and add to the Olympic crown he claimed in the summer, and goes up against the likes of Filippo Ganna, Josh Tarling, and Stefan Kung on a 46.1km course in Zurich.

You should be able to see the course map and profile at the top of your screens. It's a solid distance of 46.1km with a total elevation gain of 413 metres, which means that climb past the half-way mark bites a little more than it may appear on paper. The climb links two lakes, with much of the course hugging shorelines, the final 12km heading back into town along Lake Zurich. There's some cornering and descending to be done, which, along with the uphill sections and the longer periods on the flat, makes for a well-rounded time trialling test.

Uganda's Charles Kagimu will be the first rider down the ramp, at 14:52 local time (CET). Most of the gold medal favourites are starting late, last of all being the 2023 champion, Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) at 16:34.

Full start times are here.

Evenepoel headlines the show, as the 2023 champ and the recently-crowned Olympic champ. Another victory here would enhance the Belgian's ever-expanding palmares. 

Filippo Ganna (Italy) is a two-time world champion but has downplayed his favourite status here. Josh Tarling (Great Britain) is the coming force in time trialling and will surely be hungry after a puncture cost him an Olympic medal. Stefan Kung (Switzerland) has been the nearly man of the Worlds but comes into this one having demolished the competition, including another key contender Primoz Roglic (Slovenia), on the final day of the Vuelta a Espana. Outsiders include Brandon McNulty (USA) and the former world champion Tobias Foss (Norway). 

For an in-depth run through the contenders, check out our preview.

We're off!

Kagimu rolls down the ramp and we are underway.

Ahmad Badreddin Wais of the Refugee Cycling Team is the second rider off. A few years ago at the Olympics he was one of the riders out in front of a German rider whose coach yelled at him to "catch the camel drivers". A disgraceful episode, when the diverse start lists are an endearing factor of these international competitions and one to be celebrated.

Ghana's Christopher Symonds is among the early starters and is a familiar figure from previous World Championships. He lives in London and works on the doors of the Houses of Parliament, and is racing here at the age of 50.

I remember speaking to Symonds at the 2021 Worlds in Bruges, and have just dug out the piece, if his story is of interest...

Chris Symonds puts Ghana on the map at World Championships

We have three intermediate checkpoints on this course, the first coming after 12.5km, which Kagimu has just gone through in a time of 15:30. 

The second checkpoint comes at the top of the climb after 26.6km and the final one comes a few kilometres into the final stretch home, after 36.7km.

Kagimu's time at the first checkpoint is under no threat so far. Wais is 55 seconds slower in second place with Qatar's Tamim Al-Kuwari and Afghanistan's Ahmad Mirzaee both more than two minutes down.

Emil Stoynev (Bulgaria) is the first European on the course. He's 40 seconds down on Kagimu at the first checkpoint. 

Hungary's Janos Zsombor Pelikan is now the fastest through the first checkpoint, with 15:22.

Pier-Andre Cote of Canada has just taken another 30 seconds off the benchmark at that first checkpoint.

Cory Williams (Belize), one half of the Williams brothers behind the L39ION of Los Angeles team, hits the road now.

Kagimu hits the top of the climb and the second checkpoint after 26.6km with a time of 36:30.48.

Filip Maciejuk (Poland) sets off as the first WorldTour rider down the ramp, the 25-year-old racing with Bora-Hansgrohe.

The organisers have clearly decided on a different schedule to the one they issued in advance of the race and that's still listed on their website. The order is the same but they're starting closer together than the two-and-a-half minutes originally listed. 

In the women's event a little earlier, the Australian Grace Brown backed up her Olympic title with a world title, making for a fairytale end to her career. 

UCI World Championships: Grace Brown beats Demi Vollering to elite women's time trial title

Maciejuk is a shade down on Cote's benchmark at the first checkpoint but another Canadian, Derek Gee, is on his way there and could be a threat. 

Gee is only third fastest after 12.5km, but we're moving up the levels in terms of calibre now, with four-time Portuguese champion Nelson Oliveira getting underway shortly ahead of home favourite Stefan Bissegger. 

France's Thibault Guernalec is also underway and has been impressive this season, while Kasper Asgreen (Denmark) is next up.

First finisher

It's Kagimu, who stops the clock a shade under an hour at 59:28. 

Magnus Sheffield (USA) gets going - a really strong time triallist on his day, but seems prone to crashes and mishaps on the big occasions.

The quality is coming thick and fast now with Italian rouleur Edoardo Affini next off, followed by Victor Campenaerts (Belgium).

Cote has the fastest times at the second and third checkpoints, miles ahead of anyone else, but he no longer has the best time at the first checkpoint, thanks to Soren Waerenskjold (Norway), who has posted 14:24.

Pier-Andre Cote comes towards the finish line now and he's storming into the lead. He stops the clock on 56 minutes flat, which is over three minutes quicker than anyone else so far. 

Max Schachmann (Germany) is out of the blocks and now it's the 2022 world champion, Tobias Foss (Norway), who shocked the world that day and hasn't produced anything like it since. 

Bissegger can't match Waerenskjold at the first checkpoint - he's a second or so off it.

Here's a shot of our clubhouse leader, Pier-Andre Cote (Canada).

Asgreen goes quickest at the first checkpoint but only briefly, with Sheffield taking eight seconds out of him.

More movement at the checkpoint with Affini now fastest by five seconds.

Affini is set to lose time to the lighter riders on the upcoming climb, while the descent down to the shores of Lake Zurich is another tricky element of this course that makes it more than grinding out steady watts for 50 minutes.

Waerenskjold, himself a big rider who often contests bunch sprints, hits the top of the climb and takes the fastest time at the second checkpoint but given the movement behind it won't last too long.

A great photo of the climb with lake and mountains in the background.

Foss is three seconds down on Affini at the first checkpoint.

French champion Bruno Armirail sets off, followed by the Australian Jay Vine who had a brilliant Vuelta, considering the injuries he suffered in the spring. 

And then it's into the really big hitters... Kung, Tarling, McNulty, Roglic, Ganna, Evenepoel are the final six starters!

A huge reception for Stefan Kung from his home crowds. He has a collection of minor medals from major competitions to his name, but the stars have never quite aligned. In fact, when he finally beat all the big favourites on the same day, Foss snatched the title out of nowhere in Wollongong two years ago. Kung recently blitzed the final stage of the Vuelta in Madrid but there's a big Evenepoel-shaped problem here in Zurich. 

Next down the ramp is Josh Tarling (Great Britain), the 20-year-old who has stormed to the top of the sport in no time. He would surely have an Olympic medal to his name, were it not for a puncture in Paris, and he's very much a contender today, although his status is dampened slightly by his sub-par display on the opening day of a troubled Vuelta.

Brandon McNulty (USA) won that opening stage at the Vuelta and rode a strong Olympics into 5th place, so is certainly among the medal contenders today.

Sheffield comes to the top of the climb and he is the fastest rider at that second checkpoint, 14 seconds up on Asgreen.

Former European TT champ Bissegger is over a minute down and looks out of sorts.

Primoz Roglic (Slovenia) gets underway, fresh off the back of his fourth Vuelta a Espana victory. While that lap of Spain may have taken something out of him, and while he doesn't specialise in the discipline in quite the same way as some of his rivals here, he's the former Olympic champion and cannot be counted out. 

One man who seems to have counted himself out is Filippo Ganna (Italy), who starts now as our penultimate rider. 

"There's only one favourite and we'll see how much time he beats us by," the two-time world champion said of Evenepoel ahead of this one. 

Full quotes here. 

Drama on the start ramp for Remco Evenepoel (Belgium)!

The Olympic champ and defending world champ rotates the pedals backwards as he waits to start, and slips his chain. 

A fair bit of fumbling here from the Belgian mechanic, while another one comes running along with a spare bike, but eventually they re-string it and Evenepoel is able to get underway on his special gold bike. He has time to spare but that will have raised the heart-rate unexpectedly ahead of the start.

New leader

Soren Waerenskjold (Norway) stops the clock on 55:42 - 18 seconds up on Cote. 

Affini is on a strong ride here. We mentioned he might struggle on the climb but he has hit the second checkpoint with a new fastest time - 11 seconds up on Campenaerts and 20 seconds up on Sheffield who are in second and third there so far.

Kung hits the first checkpoint just up on Vine, who's going well, but Tarling comes along and takes nine seconds out of Kung!

McNulty is 12 seconds down at the first checkpoint. Roglic, Ganna, Evenepoel the remaining trio yet to go through there.

Affini is now quickest through the third checkpoint but has in fact lost a little time comparatively on that rolling section of the course with the sharp descent. Flat to the finish now.

Roglic not in contention so far

He's 25 seconds adrift of Tarling's benchmark at the first checkpoint after 12.5km

Ganna is the next man to come towards that checkpoint... and he's into the lead! Five seconds up on Tarling.

Evenepoel will be the last rider through that checkpoint very shortly, which will give us the full picture of how this contest has started out.

New leader

Nelson OIiveira (Portugal) stops the clock on 55:37 - four seconds quicker than Waerenskjold

Evenepoel flying!

He's six seconds up on Ganna at the first checkpoint after 12.5km

Leaderboard at first checkpoint (12.5km)

Evenepoel 13:39

Ganna +6seconds

Tarling +12

Kung +21

Vine +22

McNulty +25

Affini +29

Foss +33

Bjerg +34

Sheffield +35

New leader

Kasper Asgreen (Denmark) posts 54:32.

New leader

Asgreen's lead doesn't last long, as Affini storms to the finish to stop the clock on 53:56, which is 35 seconds up on Asgreen.

Kung springs out of the saddle, throwing the bike from side to side, on this climb. It doesn't look so steep but it's a deceptively nasty one, and it's forcing the big rouleur to throw his aero positions out of the window. 

Vine nips to the top of that climb and he's into the lead at that second checkpoint.

The provisional leader, Edoardo Affini, out on course a little earlier.

Those out-of-the-saddle efforts were a bad sign for Kung - if he'd had enough power in his legs to win this he would have been able to produce it from a better position. As it is, he crests the summit of the climb some 39 seconds down on Vine. They were similarly placed at the first checkpoint. It's going to be in the region of a minute short of Evenepoel when the Belgian comes along.

Former world champ Foss hits the line and he's third as it stands. 

Tarling loses ground on the climb

The British rider is 25 seconds down on Vine's benchmark there - having been 10 seconds quicker than the Australian at the first checkpoint.

Tarling is third at that checkpoint as it stands, slower than Affini, who is another of the bigger riders. So he has flat ground to come but the signs aren't good for Tarling.

McNulty is 35 seconds down on that Vine time at the top of the climb

Vine blitzed that climb and it might just put him into medal contention if he has enough left in the legs for the final part of this course.

Roglic hits the top of the climb and he hasn't been able to use it to any good effect - he's 47 seconds adrift of Vine's time.

Ganna flying!

We have a new fastest time at the second checkpoint (26.6km) at the top of the climb, and despite being one of the bigger rouleurs he is 20 seconds to the good. But Evenepoel will be along shortly.

Ganna was 16 seconds up on Vine at the first checkpoint and is now 19 seconds up, so he even gained on that climb. 

Evenepoel nine seconds up!

The Belgian heads through the crowds and over the top of the climb with the fastest time so far at the second checkpoint. Nine seconds up on Ganna.

Leaderboard at second checkpoint (26.6km)

Evenepoel - 32:09

Ganna +9

Vine +28 

Affini +47

Tarling +52

It's a two-horse race now, but what a race it is. Evenepoel has the descent now to try and gain a little time but the flatter 13km run-in along the shores of Lake Zurich will tilt the balance back the way of Ganna. This could be tight!

Vine quickest at the third checkpoint, but only by a fraction of a second over Affini. He was almost 20 seconds up on the Italian at the top of the climb so is shedding time on the run-in here.

Tarling comes through that checkpoint now and he's third, 3 seconds down on Vine and Affini. 

Live timing estimates suggest Evenepoel is still gaining on Ganna, now 14 seconds to the good.

Kung is 15 seconds down at that third checkpoint.

Ganna hits 84km/h as he tears down the fast part of the descent, the one he suggested was too dangerous for inclusion. He's safely through the fast bend that takes him onto the lake road. 

Roglic is now half a minute down at the third checkpoint but here come Ganna and Evenepoel....

Ganna is 44 seconds quicker than Vine at the third checkpoint.

Crash for Vine!

The TV cameras didn't catch it, and he's riding to the line now, but his skinsuit is bloodied and dusted. A huge shame

Evenepoel in the driving seat!

He's 19 seconds up on Ganna at the third checkpoint. He's in control and just needs to see this through now.

Leaderboard at checkpoint 3 (36.7km)

Evenepoel - 43:12

Ganna +19

Vine +1:03 

Affini +1:03

Tarling +1:06

Vine stopped the clock 29 seconds down on Affini after his crash, having ridden himself into podium contention.

Kung comes to the line and it's only enough for fifth place so far, which will be a big disappointment.

Tarling comes to the finish now and he's not going to go into the lead. Affini's time ticks by and does so by 23 seconds. He's going to be out of the medals. 

McNulty comes to the finish and he's more than a minute down on Affini, whose time looks better and better and is going to net him a medal. 8th for McNulty as it stands.

Roglic is in the final kilometre, and is Ganna, who is catching the former Olympic champion! 

Ganna claws Roglic back and enjoys some slipstream before the two drive for the line side-by-side! What an image. Ganna's into the lead but here comes Evenepoel....

53:08 is Ganna's time - it's 48 seconds up on Affini.

Evenepoel has 1:05 in which to complete the final kilometre. It's become tighter than it seemed at the third checkpoint.

Has Evenepoel faded here? Can he hang on?!

Evenepoel drives into the final 200 metres, here we go, he's got it!

He stops the clock six seconds up, and he starts celebrating just before he crosses the line. World champion again.

Remco Evenepoel (Belgium) wins the 2024 World Championship time trial

Evenepoel was 19 seconds up on Ganna at the third checkpoint, so conceded 13 seconds in those final 13km, making for a tense finale to a spectacular contest. Affini takes bronze as the only other rider to finish within a minute of the winner.

That's the third rainbow jersey of Evenepoel's career, the 24-year-old having won the elite road race world title in Wollongong in 2022 and then this time trial title for the first time in Glasgow last year. It comes right on the back of a remarkable double at the Paris Olympics in which he won both the time trial and the road race. He’s lining up in the road race in Zurich next Sunday - double double…?

Results

Evenepoel on his way to glory

Evenepoel references his dropped chain on the start ramp and reveals he started without a power meter, which makes this victory all the more remarkable.

Here are the full quotes from the winner's flash interview

"Crazy crazy. I took quite some time to feel good again, but right on time. It was a pretty tough day for me. My chain dropped one minute before the start. I took the start and I had no power meter at all, so it was a pure TT on feeling. I was struggling last 2-3km. I'd pushed quite hard on the second kicker then went all-out in the downhill as well, and without having the power meter it was pretty difficult to keep the pace, but in a TT - especially a championship - it doesn’t matter what the gap is. I saw my time in green and I felt like celebrating. 

"I felt good at the start, then had difficult moment in the middle part of the climb. After the first descent I felt like my legs had some oxygen again. It was difficult because I had to push but I couldn't never go over the limit because I didn’t know exactly what [power] I was doing. It must have been the most difficult TT of my life. But if you want to win you need to feel your body as well."

Race report, results, photos all here by the way...

UCI World Championships: Remco Evenepoel wins elite men's time trial

Remarkable interview from a downbeat Josh Tarling

"I never got going. I conserved then never emptied... and then was empty, if you get me. It never came to me. Not great. I'm not where I want to be. I’ve just had a rough time," he tells Eurosport.

"I cracked after the Olympics, just cracked," he explains. "I had a bad Vuelta. I just messed up… it didn’t go well and I just feel bad for everyone that put more into me in terms of bike, equipment, British Cycling with the help... I just let my side down with the training. Basically I felt sorry for myself, and let some people down."

The podium ceremony

And the world champion with his rainbow jersey and gold medal